Not only does Wonder Woman shatter Ares with her powers and superhuman strength, but she also shatters glass ceilings. Less than a week after its premiere, the movie became the most tweeted-about film of 2017. The film earned much better ratings than other recent superhero movies. And in its very first weekend at the box office, Wonder Woman grossed more than $103 million, far surpassing any of the film's revenue projections and breaking the record set by Fifty Shades of Grey to nab the highest-ever U.S. opening weekend for a female-directed film.
Now the film, directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot, has broke yet another major record. As of Wednesday, less than four weeks since its premiere, the superhero story has surpassed the $600 million mark worldwide, according to Forbes. It's now earned over $650 million.
In doing so, it passed Phyllida Lloyd’s Mamma Mia!, which earned $609.8 million, to become the highest-grossing live-action film directed by a woman, according to People.
If it keeps up the momentum a little longer, Wonder Woman would catch up to the highest-grossing film directed solely by a woman: Jennifer Yuh Nelson’s Kung Fu Panda 2 ($665.7 million worldwide). Frozen, which was codirected by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, still holds the all-time record for a movie directed by a woman, with $1.3 billion earned worldwide.
But Wonder Woman isn't beating out only female-directed films. Domestically, the film is about to pass another DC Comics staple: Superman. In its entire run at the box office, Man of Steel earned $291 million. Wonder Woman has already earned $289.2 million, proving that first weekend earnings aren't everything. Superman came out strong, but Diana is playing the long game.
This earning power is a testament to the effect this film has had on audiences and the strength that comes with hiring a female director (and having a kickass female lead). We're looking forward to seeing this film—and, fingers crossed, its sequel—continue to set records.
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